It
has been confirmed that I am, indeed, a Laughing Old(er) Lady, possibly with
extra emphasis on “old”! A few weeks ago, I had a weekend houseguest. We had a
lovely weekend, but oh, my! I could barely open my eyes Monday morning and even
after a couple cups of coffee, I still felt like I had been run over by a truck.
The reason I was so worn out (albeit happy and laughing) is pretty simple – my
houseguest was a 16-year-old girl who arrived for supper on Friday, and left
around 3:30 Sunday.
Now
remember, I am a divorced, childless LOL who has lived alone for the last ten
years. I have had a reclusive cat for the past two years, but Cashmere doesn’t
talk much, doesn’t keep up with current events, and seldom shares her opinions
with me unless we are discussing whether it’s time for me to feed her. I assure
you, my guest was much less demanding regarding food and much more forthcoming
regarding life!
We
stayed up way past my bedtime on Friday night engaged in a quite lively, interesting
conversation before we plotted our strategy for errands and thrift-store-shopping
on Saturday. It was a delightful evening, but I was dog-tired when we finally
staggered to our rooms.
Saturday
was an outstanding day. Despite our well-laid plans, we slept right through
breakfast-time. Not a pair to sweat the small stuff, we hit a neighborhood
diner for lunch then we launched into overdrive. We did the critical errands
but we never made it to any thrift stores. We headed that way, then started
thinking of other things we needed to see and do. We never slowed down until we
had hit a few antique stores, several boutiques, a plant store, and the Market
Basket (which is kind of the Tuesday Morning of craft/hobby stores). Somewhere
in there, we stopped by the local snowball shop to cool off and rest our weary
feet. By the time we finished our whirlwind of activity, then cooked and ate
supper, it was dark and I was feeling a little ramshackle as we engaged in our
respective restful, arty activities (knitting for me and sketching for her)
prior to heading for bed. I was happy to note that my guest was a little tired,
too, and we went to bed at a reasonable time that night. (At my age, feeling
worse for the wear after an active day is alleviated somewhat when a much
younger person is also feeling used up. I believe I represented my generation
quite well by not collapsing immediately following the dishes. HA!)
We
went to 8:30 church on Sunday, then rested at home for a while before we set
out for lunch in the Paseo district. We dined on the patio at Sauced. My
companion ordered a Rice Krispy Treat that was still warm – and shockingly
large – in addition to pizza. Here’s what we ate. The Rice Krispy Treat (in the back in the bottom photo) was
about half eaten by the time we got our pizza, so you can see how enormous it
was initially!
After
the delicious pizza, we hit several of the cool shops in the area. We saw a lot
of fun stuff, but seriously, I think this was my favorite display:
Seriously?
Someone will pay $20 for a shirt from the ‘70s?
We
spent more time in Ulta on Sunday afternoon than I had cumulatively spent there
since I first saw an Ulta in the ‘90s, and it was hilarious experience. We saw
and tried out things I’d never before actively considered, including lime green
lipstick. (It’s not for me.) We had a lovely chat with a young woman who
demonstrated how my guest could fill in and darken her eyebrows, then showed me
how to cover up the white in mine. (sigh)
From
my point of view, the weekend was a smashing success. It was a hoot to find balled-up
socks in the dining room on Saturday morning and a pair of shoes sprawled next
to art supplies in the living room on Sunday. Parents doubtless grow weary of
seeing teenage detritus strewn about the house, but the things I saw made me
happy because it meant my guest felt at home in my home. She kept her bathroom
spotlessly clean, helped with the cooking and the dishes, and even insisted on
taking me out for lunch on Sunday. By about five minutes after she arrived, the
guest bedroom looked like a bomb had gone off in there – in fact, I wondered
where all the stuff had come from because she brought only a backpack with her –
but everything was perfectly ship-shape when she left.
Based
on our subsequent interactions, I say with confidence that my teenaged guest
enjoyed our weekend together as much as I did. I hope she comes back soon!
A
note about snowballs:
Aloha,
our local shop, is located at the corner of Route 66 (aka 39th
Expressway) and Council Road in front of the Sears Homestore in Bethany,
Oklahoma. Aloha is a year-round snowball / coffee shop. They have good food,
too. I’ve tried quite a few menu items with no disappointments; the chicken
salad is particularly delicious. I have visited Aloha for breakfast, lunch, and/or
an iced coffee many times, but I had never tried a snowball. Big mistake!!
Their snowballs are the best! Order a snowball “Hawaiian style” for a scoop of
ice cream at the bottom; you will be happy you did. There are many tempting flavors,
all so delicious you will swoon! I had German Chocolate Cake and my guest had
Cappuccino. YUM!! All the employees are delightful – friendly and helpful. If
you happen to be in the area, go there! You won’t regret it!
Oh, and there's indoor seating, too, and shelves of games and books in case you need entertainment while you eat and drink.
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